Have you heard of or shopped at The Cosmetics Company?

I've shopped at the outlets hundreds of times but never stopped into this store. Tonight I decided to browse around and had no idea they carried brands like Mac, Smashbox, Originis, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown, Clinique. The prices were pretty good. I noticed the Smashbox hydrating primer I normally pay $42 was only $24.

Has anyone shopped there? I'm curious if these are old expired products.

Re: Have you heard of or shopped at The Cosmetics Company?

Hmmmm...a while ago I went to one. I don't think the discounts can match most of the ones that come up with the specials you can get online and it's older products anyway. The one I went to didn't have a very good selection. I'll just wait for the good online sales rather than making a trip to someplace with hit or miss selection.

Re: Have you heard of or shopped at The Cosmetics Company?

Wasn't particularly impressed when I went there. Two year old Este Lauder compacts locked behind glass. Old gift with purchase Clinique.. No thanks, I get that for free when I pick up current new product at Dillard's

Re: Have you heard of or shopped at The Cosmetics Company?

i have one nearby. the selection is kind of random, the testers are a mess, and the product turnover moves at glacier speed, but far and away the most obnoxious part of my local CCO is the service. as a good friend once noted, they treat you as if you are trying to purchase the components necessary to assemble a bomb.

Re: Have you heard of or shopped at The Cosmetics Company?

I love CCO's. I have two of them around: one in Oregon and one in Seattle. Oregon staff is not the best but Seattle ladies are always kind to me. I bought my first ever MAC lipstick there last year: Peach Blossom and I was hooked ever since. Now I have like 10 MAC lipsticks from them, 4 lipglasses, 2 blushes etc. None of them were used or expired or nasty How do I know? I found a website that you could put your MAC code and it tells you the shelf life left. I forgot the website name though.

I always check CCO's to see what is new. I almost always buy MAC stuff exclusively. Other brands at the CCO does not interest me much. I once bought a Bobbi Brown skin care set. It was pretty amazing I should say. But MAC oh such an addiction. I found MAC Giddy (a LE one that everybody seemed to go crazy about) last weekend at the Oregon CCO. I also found Sweet and Sour, Vegas Volt and Viva Glam Nicki, Myth etc. at Seattle CCO.

Re: Have you heard of or shopped at The Cosmetics Company?

theres only one somewhat near me. I've purchased an Estée Lauder double wear foundation in the old formula. It's the only thing I've ever bought there since I was hunting for it. I've heard some people have tom ford at theirs and I wish mine had some. The inventory is always the same. Mostly past MAC LE items, smash box, Bobbi brown, Estée Lauder, Clinique. Their return policy sucks and their associates aren't trained to color match. I still come back if I'm around the area to see what's new, but most of the time it's the same stuff.

Re: Have you heard of or shopped at The Cosmetics Company?

Oh, I visited one a while ago and there was this crazy woman who was telling the girls working that she'd driven 5 hours to get there and that they should let her buy things on two different credit cards and with cash even though they have rules about that kind of thing. Some ladies were putting on a whole face full of makeup directly from the testers (mascara and everything) and the staff were more worried about watching to see if I was trying to steal something, not the best atmosphere. When I got home I realized I ended up with a foundation about eight shades off the one I asked them to grab for me and they wouldn't do a return or anything!

Re: Have you heard of or shopped at The Cosmetics Company?

The staff at the one near me is not bad at all. Usually pretty helpful. I have found on occasion some pieces of MAC collections that sold out quickly online and in stores (Hey Sailor collection and a few others). I have also found Tom Ford once or twice. Most of the staff have checked items before selling them to make sure there is no damage. It is true that they occasionally get a batch that had some flaw (like a dent in the lipstick or something) so they try to check for me before I leave the store!

I did, however, once buy a MAC lipstick that went bad within 3 months. So beware some of it may be close to expired.

Re: Have you heard of or shopped at The Cosmetics Company?

They totally kicked me out of one! I was there shopping and I figured if I made the drive out the outlet, might as well make it worth it. I always call my mom, sisters, close friends etc. if I find some really good deals so I can get them some awesome deals as well.

Anyways, I was in the CCO, on my phone texting, and I tried to take a photo of some nail polishes so they could see the colors. A SA came up to me and said that it was illegal to take photos of the store. First off, people throw around the word "illegal" all the time when it really isn't, and second of all, I studied business and corporate law and it definitely is not illegal to take photo of merchandise (just frowned upon). I of course asked, "What statute says that it is illegal, I am taking photos of just the merchandise, not taking photos of the price (for competitive matching purposes) or taking photos of the layout/cameras/registers/backroom or anything important (to scope out the place to rob)... I am taking photos for my sister because she wanted to see what colors they were." And then I got kicked out... me and my big mouth. So I have been mad at them ever since!

Re: Have you heard of or shopped at The Cosmetics Company?

I think the store staff varies a lot. Mine has never had anything super special, and they don't carry a full color range or anything. I know mine has the older version of things (like older Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair, totally different from the new formula). You have to be pretty certain of what you're buying because the store can't really sanitize testers (and doesn't recommend using them) and you can only exchange something, not get a refund.

Fun to poke or if you've wanted to try a brand and never have. I wouldn't expect to find current things at discount prices.

Re: Have you heard of or shopped at The Cosmetics Company?

they may be legit but the sales staff are rude, return policy is bad, and they have sold me bad products in the past. Stores can only stay in my radar if they only have one of these out of the three but they struck out in my first visit.